This Team Bites: Blog of the Crystal Lake Sandgnats
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Re: This Team Bites: Blog of the Crystal Lake Sandgnats
I’m glad someone else is benching players already. I always think I get too impatient with my players and change the lineup too soon but at least I know someone else has got a short a fuse as me lol. I’ve just benched my 1B and my #3 starter (or at least I would have done if I hadn’t of had two injuries to my rotation as soon as I sent him to the pen
Andy (Sim, Chaan-Shu)
GM Gloucester Fishermen
GM Gloucester Fishermen
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Re: This Team Bites: Blog of the Crystal Lake Sandgnats
He's a true leader, but I think his time is ending. At this point he couldn't hit a little leaguer left handed pitcher. I am hoping to bring him back as a coach once he retires. His leadership makes a noticeable difference in my team's performance.Claymores wrote:Poor Klein - although you’ve gotta admire his willingness to lead the team from the bench!
RJ Ermola
Vice President and General Manager of Baseball Operations
Crystal Lake Sandgnats
*2024 PEBA Champions*
Vice President and General Manager of Baseball Operations
Crystal Lake Sandgnats
*2024 PEBA Champions*
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Re: This Team Bites: Blog of the Crystal Lake Sandgnats
Harpoon wrote:I’m glad someone else is benching players already. I always think I get too impatient with my players and change the lineup too soon but at least I know someone else has got a short a fuse as me lol. I’ve just benched my 1B and my #3 starter (or at least I would have done if I hadn’t of had two injuries to my rotation as soon as I sent him to the pen
RJ Ermola
Vice President and General Manager of Baseball Operations
Crystal Lake Sandgnats
*2024 PEBA Champions*
Vice President and General Manager of Baseball Operations
Crystal Lake Sandgnats
*2024 PEBA Champions*
- KenH
- Triple-A
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Re: This Team Bites: Blog of the Crystal Lake Sandgnats
Ine seems to have righted the ship! Very good last 10 games for the veteran mercenary :)
Ken Hannahs -- Farstriders GM (2023-2037)
2025, 2033, 2034, 2035 PEBA Champion
2025, 2033, 2034, 2035 PEBA Champion
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Re: This Team Bites: Blog of the Crystal Lake Sandgnats
Until his blown save against Yuma today...Featherheads wrote:Ine seems to have righted the ship! Very good last 10 games for the veteran mercenary :)
RJ Ermola
Vice President and General Manager of Baseball Operations
Crystal Lake Sandgnats
*2024 PEBA Champions*
Vice President and General Manager of Baseball Operations
Crystal Lake Sandgnats
*2024 PEBA Champions*
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Re: This Team Bites: Blog of the Crystal Lake Sandgnats
This Team Bites: Blog of the Crystal Lake Sandgnats
Gnats Say Good Bye to Jim 'Bizzare' Klein (28/10)
By: Stephanie Dole
August 15, 2028 at 11:00 PM CST
Klein was a 1st round, number 2 pick by Yuma out of the Indiana Big Daddies in 2016 and quickly proved his worth of the $6.5 million dollar signing bonus tendered by Yuma. He was selected to the All-star game and won the gold glove award for Short-A during his first year of professional ball. He was then acquired in the 2016 off-season by Crystal Lake via trade with Yuma and would remain with the Gnats' organization for the next 11 years. Klein is second all time in games played by Crystal Lake players at 1130, only 17 games short of Eduardo 'Pappy' Molina. If not for breaking his hand in 2023, Klein would hold that record. Klein is the longest tenured Gnat at 10 years.
Klein quickly rose through the Gnats' minor league system and was first called up to PEBA in 2018 where he batted .305 in 20 games. Klein then anchored second base as the Gnats' field general through the present date with a career on-base percentage of .357 posting a career high 72 walks in the Gnats Championship Season of 2024. Klein would only be selected to the All-star game one time in 2021 and won the All-Leather award in 2019. He was the 2026 Wild Card MVP, but his greatest accomplishment was winning the PEBA Championship in 2024.
The Union City, New Jersey native and his wife established the Klein Scholarship fund for minority youth in his local Union City and also established the Walks for Meals event every year in Crystal Lake that supported the local Meals on Wheels foundation in suburban Chicago. Klein was elected PEBA Player's Union President for a 5 year term that concludes at the end of this season. As president elect Klein was heavily involved in the past media deal which helped give PEBA players a "larger share of the pie," as he was quoted.
Gnats will always remember his walk-up song "How Bizarre". (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C2cMG33mWVY)
Please see the Crystal Lake Herald today for the full page thank you letter from Jim Klein headlined "Thank you for the time of my life."
RJ Ermola
Vice President and General Manager of Baseball Operations
Crystal Lake Sandgnats
*2024 PEBA Champions*
Vice President and General Manager of Baseball Operations
Crystal Lake Sandgnats
*2024 PEBA Champions*
- Borealis
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Re: This Team Bites: Blog of the Crystal Lake Sandgnats
"It's making me crazy"... Is that his feelings about his time in Crystal Lake?
I wish there was a way to see a players career numbers against specific teams...
I wish there was a way to see a players career numbers against specific teams...
Michael Topham, President Golden Entertainment & President-CEO of the Aurora Borealis
2019, 2021, 2022, 2023 PEBA Champions
2019, 2021, 2022, 2023 PEBA Champions
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Re: This Team Bites: Blog of the Crystal Lake Sandgnats
hahaha
Yeah in-game those splits are only current season unfortunately.
Yeah in-game those splits are only current season unfortunately.
RJ Ermola
Vice President and General Manager of Baseball Operations
Crystal Lake Sandgnats
*2024 PEBA Champions*
Vice President and General Manager of Baseball Operations
Crystal Lake Sandgnats
*2024 PEBA Champions*
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Re: This Team Bites: Blog of the Crystal Lake Sandgnats
This Team Bites: Blog of the Crystal Lake Sandgnats
Gnats Re-Sign All But One Arbitration Eligible Player (28/11)
By: Stephanie Dole
October 28, 2028 at 11:00 AM CST
With Parker entering his first arbitration year, the payoff was inevitable with the star catcher posting incredible stats once again for the 3rd consecutive year with career high numbers including a .279 batting average, .369 on base percentage and slugging .527 with an OPS of .896 and WAR of 7.2. Where Parker lacks in defensive production he more than makes up with offensive prowess. Parker's 29 home runs ranked second on the team tied with Ray Kimball. As an integral part of the team, Parker was convinced to sign a $9,835,000 payday - a deserving jump from his league minimum salary. 2 more years of team control remain on Parker's existing contract.
The Gnats also avoided arbitration with reliever Kyle Weaver. After a couple years of being optioned back and forth with various clubs, Weaver earned a spot in the active roster this season posting another solid performance over 50.2 innings pitched with a respectable 3.38 ERA and 1.18 WHIP with 45 strikeouts and and 21 walks. Weaver's agent announced that his client accepted a $1.1 million tender which is an increase over his 2028 salary of $950k.
Lastly, the Gnats reached a deal with third basemen, Ed Brown, a player that struggled with a less than average performance this season based on year's past career high performance. Brown's pedestrian .228/.293/.320 earned him an modest increase from 2028's $5.1 million to a 2029 salary of $5.7 million. Because of injury time this season, the Gnats still retain 2 years of team control with Brown.
RJ Ermola
Vice President and General Manager of Baseball Operations
Crystal Lake Sandgnats
*2024 PEBA Champions*
Vice President and General Manager of Baseball Operations
Crystal Lake Sandgnats
*2024 PEBA Champions*
- Borealis
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Re: This Team Bites: Blog of the Crystal Lake Sandgnats
I remember what it was like to have money to sign your arby guys early... sigh... those were the days...
Michael Topham, President Golden Entertainment & President-CEO of the Aurora Borealis
2019, 2021, 2022, 2023 PEBA Champions
2019, 2021, 2022, 2023 PEBA Champions
- DrewV
- Triple-A
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- Location: Fairbanks, Alaska
Re: This Team Bites: Blog of the Crystal Lake Sandgnats
Also envious. Couldn't extend half my guys even if I had the cash. It appears the muggy MN summer doesn't suit them...
Drew Visscher (GM Ricky McCoy) | Duluth Warriors
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Re: This Team Bites: Blog of the Crystal Lake Sandgnats
This Team Bites: Blog of the Crystal Lake Sandgnats
Opening Day 2028 Roster (29/1)
By: Stephanie Dole
April 2, 2029 at 05:00 AM CST
Starting Pitching:
1. Jim MacCowan
2. Dean McNeil
3. To-wai Zhou
4. Tony Cuellar
5. Eric Perkins
SP Jim 'Nitro' MacCowan
Bullpen:
CL: Joshua Hall
Setup/Closer: Kyle Weaver
Setup: Jonathan Francis
Long Relief/Emerg: Jon Browning
R Specialist: Edgar Merriam
L Specialist: Alexander Cooke
L Specialist: Nolan Kuhn
L Specialist: Eijiro Nakagawa
CL Joshua Hall
Outfield:
LF: Jorge Jiménez
CF: Bob Blanchard
RF: Clarence Carpenter
RF Clarence Carpenter
Infield:
1st: António Vega
2nd: Gareth Bugler
SS: Hikaru Arai
3rd: Ed Brown
C: Tony Parker
DH: Ray Kimball
2B Gareth Bugler
Bench:
IF: Larry Frawley
C: Allen Wells
Larry Frawley will provide bench leadership in the absence of Jim Klein this season. Allen Wells will be back up catcher as well as catcher in defensive situations. Wells is a significant upgrade from last years back up to Parker. Rumor is that Marvin Miller is on the roster, but on his way out to Canton.
Go Gnats!
RJ Ermola
Vice President and General Manager of Baseball Operations
Crystal Lake Sandgnats
*2024 PEBA Champions*
Vice President and General Manager of Baseball Operations
Crystal Lake Sandgnats
*2024 PEBA Champions*
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Re: This Team Bites: Blog of the Crystal Lake Sandgnats
This Team Bites: Blog of the Crystal Lake Sandgnats
Minor League Players of The Year (29/2)
By: Stephanie Dole
October 21, 2029 at 05:00 PM CST
CL Minor League Hitter of the Year
LF Nelson Hernández
CL Minor League Pitcher of the Year
SP Freddie Wearmouth
RJ Ermola
Vice President and General Manager of Baseball Operations
Crystal Lake Sandgnats
*2024 PEBA Champions*
Vice President and General Manager of Baseball Operations
Crystal Lake Sandgnats
*2024 PEBA Champions*
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Re: This Team Bites: Blog of the Crystal Lake Sandgnats
This Team Bites: Blog of the Crystal Lake Sandgnats
Minor League Players of The Year (29/3)
By: Stephanie Dole
November 1, 2029 at 05:45 PM CST
Gnats Resign Tony Parker
C Tony Parker
Last season Parker hit .268/.334/.549/.883 with a career high 42 homes runs and 1 stolen base courtesy of Clarence Carpenter. Parker allowed 6 passed balls in 2029 with a negative -1 ZR and 9 errors. Tony has one more year of arbitration eligibility until becoming a free agent with 4 years and 112 days of PEBA service time.
"Just happy to get this over with," stated Parker. "Clarence makes me look good, so we're going out for scotch and cigars tonight."
RJ Ermola
Vice President and General Manager of Baseball Operations
Crystal Lake Sandgnats
*2024 PEBA Champions*
Vice President and General Manager of Baseball Operations
Crystal Lake Sandgnats
*2024 PEBA Champions*
- Sandgnats
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Re: This Team Bites: Blog of the Crystal Lake Sandgnats
This Team Bites: Blog of the Crystal Lake Sandgnats
Gnats Off to Hot Start to 2030 Season (30/1)
By: Stephanie Dole
April 30, 2030 at 11:45 PM CST
The Gnats are off to a hot start for the first month of the 2030 season posting 22 wins and 5 losses for April to pull 2 games ahead of rival Fargo in the Great Lakes Division. Leading the way statistically batting for the month was star Clarence Carpenter batting .370/.382/.471/.853 with 19 steals. Tony Parker and Gabe Moran are off again to hot starts with 5 home runs each for the month. Rookie Joe Arnold is also off to a hot start posting a record of 5-0 with a complete game shut out on April 22th against Okinawa. His ERA and WHIP are 1.18 and .61 respectively. Javier Jimenez has notched 10 saves and allowed 0 runs as closer.
Most impressive this month was a record of 4-3 against the Shin Seiki Evas. Signs of good things to come possibly this season.
RJ Ermola
Vice President and General Manager of Baseball Operations
Crystal Lake Sandgnats
*2024 PEBA Champions*
Vice President and General Manager of Baseball Operations
Crystal Lake Sandgnats
*2024 PEBA Champions*